STAT April 1, 2024
Hospitals performing pelvic and other sensitive exams for training purposes without patients’ explicit consent, including on anesthetized patients, won’t be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, according to new guidance released on Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Examinations of sensitive areas — such breast, pelvic, prostate, and rectal examinations — are an important part of medical training, but they can be incredibly invasive and traumatic. Patients, advocates, and lawmakers have pushed for years to ensure that these exams require specific, informed patient consent. Yet it has been common practice among physicians in training to perform such examinations on anesthetized patients, often despite knowing patients had not given permission to do...
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